Our PhD course will allow you to become an expert in a specialist area and gain high-quality research training in Design. Your PhD can be taken full-time (three years standard, four years maximum) or part-time (five years standard, seven years maximum). We also offer a PhD by Distance Learning. Your research will be guided by supervisors with whom you'll have regular meetings throughout your PhD. Your supervisors will help you put in place an initial plan, provide guidance on your progress, discuss your findings, and set out your plans for the next stage of research. During your first year you'll work on a plan for your PhD project as well as a bibliography and will also develop a detailed research proposal with a literature review. This work will be submitted to a panel of examiners who will assess it and provide you with feedback and advice on the progress of your research to help ensure you are fully prepared for the next stage of your doctoral degree. The further years are mostly spent focus on writing your thesis which is examined by two academics (one external to the University). You'll discuss and defend your findings in a formal oral examination called a viva which is a way to further expand on your research and demonstrate your expertise in your chosen area of study.<br><br>The Visual Communication research group examines the application, impact and process of graphic design and visual communication. Staff within this group specialise in researching how typography, imagery, layout and colour can communicate ideas and information efficiently and memorably. Information Design, and in particular infographic design is a key area of expertise within this group that focuses on how data can be effectively visualised. Several staff work in the area of health information design to improve the way we communicate health issues to patients and the public. We collaborate with organisations such as Public Health England, the NHS, Drinkaware and Luto to ensure our research has wide impact. Brand communication design is another research strength we examine the impact of branding on consumer experiences and devise new categorisation systems for brand identity design to inform future practice. Working as part of the Experience Design research group, many members of the Visual Communication team utilise graphic design methods to aid co-design processes. By designing visual materials to help everyday users express their feelings and communicate ideas we can capture design thinking from a range of audiences.